CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE ART IN THE AGE OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT, 1750–1789
Rome toward 1760: The Font of Neoclassicism
Key Images Anton Raphael Mengs, Parnassus, p. 792, 23.1 Pompeo Batoni, Thomas, First Lord Dundas, p. 792, 23.2 Gavin Hamilton, Andromache Bewailing the Death of Hector, p. 793, 23.3
• In the wake of archaeological discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum there was a renewed interest in the art of classical antiquity.
• This admiration of classical art was espoused by Johann Winckelmann who reflected on the ″noble simplicity and calm grandeur″ embodied by the art of these earlier periods.
• The foundations of the Neoclassical style have their roots in this renewed interest, as well as the austere brushwork of Anton Raphael Mengs, the linearity of Pompeo Batoni′s portraiture, and the moralistic dramatic paintings of Gavin Hamilton.
Rome toward 1760: The Font of Romanticism
Key Images Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Tomb of the Metalli, p. 794, 23.4
• Giovanni Battista Piranesi was a printmaker who explored the use of vedute of Rome to elicit intense emotions in the viewer. The scale of the monuments, one of which can be seen in the Tomb of the Metelli, inspired a sense of awe and fear in the viewer. It is in the work of Piranesi that we see the beginnings of Romanticism—an artistic movement demanding emotional surrender of the viewer which was in opposition to the emotional discipline of the Neoclassical style.
Neoclassicism in England
Key Images Thomas Banks, The Death of Germanicus, p. 795, 23.5 Angelica Kaufmann, Cornelia Presenting Her Children as Her Treasures, p. 797, 23.6 Benjamin West, The Death of General Wolfe, p. 798, 23.7 Lord Burlington and William Kent, Chiswick House, near London, p. 800, 23.8 Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 801, 23.9 John Wood the Younger, Royal Crescent, Bath, p. 801, 23.10 Robert Adam, The Library, Kenwood, London, p. 802, 23.11
• In England Neoclassicism had its roots in an appreciation for and love of ancient authors dating to the time of Augustus as well as a recognition that England was experiencing a period of peace and prosperity similar to the Golden Age of Augustan Rome.
• Thomas Banks attempted to emulate classical sculptors in his The Death of Germanicus, modeled after Roman relief sculpture.
• Angelica Kauffman, a founding member of the Royal Academy, had the distinction of being one of two women members of the Academy until the twentieth century and the only female artist who painted history paintings.
• In his The Death of General Wolfe Benjamin Wolfe updated and transformed history painting by producing a contemporary history painting. Even though the painting was not well received by King George III and Joshua Reynolds, the work was applauded by the public when it was exhibited at the Royal Academy.
• The Classical revival can be dated in England to the publication of Colen Campbell′s Vitruvius Britannicus (1715) in which Campbell applauded the architecture of antiquity and the later work of Antonio Palladio. This led to the Palladian Revival and a sudden increase in Palladian-inspired villas.
• The Classical revival extended to urban planning, with the best example being in Bath.
Early Romanticism in England
Key Images Henry Flitcroft and Henry Hoare II, The Park at Stourhead, Wiltshire, p. 803, 23.12 Horace Walpole, with William Robinson and others, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, p. 804, 23.13 Picture Gallery at Strawberry Hill, p. 804, 23.14 George Stubbs, Lion Attacking a Horse, p. 805, 23.15 Joseph Wright, An Experiment on a Bird in an Air-Pump, p. 806, 23.16 Joseph Wright, The Widow of an Indian Chief Watching the Arms of her Deceased Husband, p. 807, 23.17 John Henry Fuseli, Thor Battering the Midgard Serpent, p. 808, 23.18 John Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, p. 809, 23.19
• In England early Romanticism manifested itself in garden design and melancholic spaces. These gardens were not only picturesque, but they had embedded layers of literary and historical references.
• In painting George Stubbs and Joseph Wright merged the styles of Neoclassicism and Romanticism, while John Henry Fuseli developed the style of art being equated with fear and unease.
Neoclassicism in France
Key Images Ange-Jacques Gabriel, Garden façade of Petit Trianon, Versailles, p. 810, 23.20 Jacques-Germain Soufflot, The Panthéon (formerly Sainte-Geneviève), p. 811, 23.21 Marie-Joseph Peyre and Charles de Wailly, façade of the Théatre Français (Théâtre de l′Odéon), Paris, p. 812, 23.22 Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, Barrière de l′Étoile (Étoile Customs House), p. 813, 23.23 Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, House of the River Authority, Ideal City of the Chaux, p. 813, 23.24 Étienne-Louis Boullée, Project for a Tomb to Isaac Newton, p. 814, 23.25 Jean-Baptiste Greuze, The Village Bride, p. 815, 23.26 Jean-Antoine Houdon, Voltaire Seated, p. 816, 23.27 Jean-Antoine Houdon, George Washington, p. 817, 23.28 Jacques-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatii, p. 818, 23.29 Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Marat, p. 820, 23.30
• The Neoclassical movement in France was first seen in architecture, where the Classical revival was characterized by geometric and monumental buildings.
• Influenced by French Classical architecture, this new style of building was called ″Rational Classicism″ where the emphasis was on linear symmetrical design with a strong geometric and logical emphasis.
• Jean-Baptise Greuze′s genre paintings were an embodiment of Enlightenment ideals espoused by Rousseau, with an emphasis on virtue and naturalism. Greuze′s style incorporated theatrical elements, such as the tableau vivant, as well as the intensity of the history painting.
• The sculptures of Jean-Antoine Houdin were classical and realistic.
• The work of Jacques-Louis David exemplified the French Neoclassical style in painting with his development of the history painting. In The Oath of the Horatii David combined elements of the Neoclassical style with the emotional unease of Romanticism.
• In his The Death of Marat, the naturalism and idealism of the subject suggest that Marat is Christ-like in death. Key Terms/Places/Names Neoclassicism Voltaire Romanticism Rousseau’s ″noble savage″ planarity linearity vedute Rational Classicism history painting tableau vivant The Palladian Revival picturesque associationism hôtels Marat
Discussion Questions
1. In what ways did the spirit of Neoclassicism differ from France to England? In your opinion, what accounts for this shift in emphasis?
2. How is Marat portrayed in Jacques-Louis David′s The Death of Marat? What sorts of works is this painting modeled on? What would have been the impact?
3. Discuss the Enlightenment themes that are an undercurrent in Jean-Battiste Greuze′s The Village Bride.
4. In what ways did John Henry Fuseli′s The Nightmare exemplify Romanticism in England?
5. How did the theme of Angelica Kaufmann′s Cornelia Presenting her Children as Her Treasures (Mother of the Gracchi) reflect the Enlightenment teachings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
6. What were some obstacles that Angelica Kaufman faced as a female artist working in eighteenth century England?
Resources
Books
Abrams, Ann Uhry. The Valiant Hero: Benjamin West and Grand-Style History Painting. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1985.
Bryson, Norman. Tradition and Desire: From David to Delacroix. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1984.
Roberts, Warren E. Jacques-Louis David, Revolutionary Artist: Art, Politics, and the French Revolution. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1989.
Roworth,Wendy Wassyng, and David Alexander. Angelica Kauffman: A Continental Artist in Georgian England. London: Reaktion Books, 1992.
www
French and Italian Painting of the 18th Century (National Gallery of Art) http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/french18.htm
PART IV
ReplyDeleteTHE MODERN WORLD
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ART IN THE AGE OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT,
1750–1789
Rome toward 1760: The Font of Neoclassicism
Key Images
Anton Raphael Mengs, Parnassus, p. 792, 23.1
Pompeo Batoni, Thomas, First Lord Dundas, p. 792, 23.2
Gavin Hamilton, Andromache Bewailing the Death of Hector, p. 793, 23.3
• In the wake of archaeological discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum there was a renewed interest in the art of classical antiquity.
• This admiration of classical art was espoused by Johann Winckelmann who reflected on the ″noble simplicity and calm grandeur″ embodied by the art of these earlier periods.
• The foundations of the Neoclassical style have their roots in this renewed interest, as well as the austere brushwork of Anton Raphael Mengs, the linearity of Pompeo Batoni′s portraiture, and the moralistic dramatic paintings of Gavin Hamilton.
Rome toward 1760: The Font of Romanticism
Key Images
Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Tomb of the Metalli, p. 794, 23.4
• Giovanni Battista Piranesi was a printmaker who explored the use of vedute of Rome to elicit intense emotions in the viewer. The scale of the monuments, one of which can be seen in the Tomb of the Metelli, inspired a sense of awe and fear in the viewer. It is in the work of Piranesi that we see the beginnings of Romanticism—an artistic movement demanding emotional surrender of the viewer which was in opposition to the emotional discipline of the Neoclassical style.
Neoclassicism in England
Key Images
Thomas Banks, The Death of Germanicus, p. 795, 23.5
Angelica Kaufmann, Cornelia Presenting Her Children as Her Treasures, p. 797, 23.6
Benjamin West, The Death of General Wolfe, p. 798, 23.7
Lord Burlington and William Kent, Chiswick House, near London, p. 800, 23.8
Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 801, 23.9
John Wood the Younger, Royal Crescent, Bath, p. 801, 23.10
Robert Adam, The Library, Kenwood, London, p. 802, 23.11
• In England Neoclassicism had its roots in an appreciation for and love of ancient authors dating to the time of Augustus as well as a recognition that England was experiencing a period of peace and prosperity similar to the Golden Age of Augustan Rome.
• Thomas Banks attempted to emulate classical sculptors in his The Death of Germanicus, modeled after Roman relief sculpture.
• Angelica Kauffman, a founding member of the Royal Academy, had the distinction of being one of two women members of the Academy until the twentieth century and the only female artist who painted history paintings.
• In his The Death of General Wolfe Benjamin Wolfe updated and transformed history painting by producing a contemporary history painting. Even though the painting was not well received by King George III and Joshua Reynolds, the work was applauded by the public when it was exhibited at the Royal Academy.
• The Classical revival can be dated in England to the publication of Colen Campbell′s Vitruvius Britannicus (1715) in which Campbell applauded the architecture of antiquity and the later work of Antonio Palladio. This led to the Palladian Revival and a sudden increase in Palladian-inspired villas.
• The Classical revival extended to urban planning, with the best example being in Bath.
Early Romanticism in England
Key Images
Henry Flitcroft and Henry Hoare II, The Park at Stourhead, Wiltshire, p. 803, 23.12
Horace Walpole, with William Robinson and others, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham,
p. 804, 23.13
Picture Gallery at Strawberry Hill, p. 804, 23.14
George Stubbs, Lion Attacking a Horse, p. 805, 23.15
Joseph Wright, An Experiment on a Bird in an Air-Pump, p. 806, 23.16
Joseph Wright, The Widow of an Indian Chief Watching the Arms of her Deceased Husband, p. 807, 23.17
John Henry Fuseli, Thor Battering the Midgard Serpent, p. 808, 23.18
John Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, p. 809, 23.19
• In England early Romanticism manifested itself in garden design and melancholic spaces. These gardens were not only picturesque, but they had embedded layers of literary and historical references.
• In painting George Stubbs and Joseph Wright merged the styles of Neoclassicism and Romanticism, while John Henry Fuseli developed the style of art being equated with fear and unease.
Neoclassicism in France
Key Images
Ange-Jacques Gabriel, Garden façade of Petit Trianon, Versailles, p. 810, 23.20
Jacques-Germain Soufflot, The Panthéon (formerly Sainte-Geneviève), p. 811, 23.21
Marie-Joseph Peyre and Charles de Wailly, façade of the Théatre Français (Théâtre de l′Odéon), Paris, p. 812, 23.22
Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, Barrière de l′Étoile (Étoile Customs House), p. 813, 23.23
Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, House of the River Authority, Ideal City of the Chaux, p. 813, 23.24
Étienne-Louis Boullée, Project for a Tomb to Isaac Newton, p. 814, 23.25
Jean-Baptiste Greuze, The Village Bride, p. 815, 23.26
Jean-Antoine Houdon, Voltaire Seated, p. 816, 23.27
Jean-Antoine Houdon, George Washington, p. 817, 23.28
Jacques-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatii, p. 818, 23.29
Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Marat, p. 820, 23.30
• The Neoclassical movement in France was first seen in architecture, where the Classical revival was characterized by geometric and monumental buildings.
• Influenced by French Classical architecture, this new style of building was called ″Rational Classicism″ where the emphasis was on linear symmetrical design with a strong geometric and logical emphasis.
• Jean-Baptise Greuze′s genre paintings were an embodiment of Enlightenment ideals espoused by Rousseau, with an emphasis on virtue and naturalism. Greuze′s style incorporated theatrical elements, such as the tableau vivant, as well as the intensity of the history painting.
• The sculptures of Jean-Antoine Houdin were classical and realistic.
• The work of Jacques-Louis David exemplified the French Neoclassical style in painting with his development of the history painting. In The Oath of the Horatii David combined elements of the Neoclassical style with the emotional unease of Romanticism.
• In his The Death of Marat, the naturalism and idealism of the subject suggest that Marat is Christ-like in death.
Key Terms/Places/Names
Neoclassicism
Voltaire
Romanticism
Rousseau’s ″noble savage″
planarity
linearity
vedute
Rational Classicism
history painting
tableau vivant
The Palladian Revival
picturesque
associationism
hôtels
Marat
Discussion Questions
1. In what ways did the spirit of Neoclassicism differ from France to England? In your opinion, what accounts for this shift in emphasis?
2. How is Marat portrayed in Jacques-Louis David′s The Death of Marat? What sorts of works is this painting modeled on? What would have been the impact?
3. Discuss the Enlightenment themes that are an undercurrent in Jean-Battiste Greuze′s The Village Bride.
4. In what ways did John Henry Fuseli′s The Nightmare exemplify Romanticism in England?
5. How did the theme of Angelica Kaufmann′s Cornelia Presenting her Children as Her Treasures (Mother of the Gracchi) reflect the Enlightenment teachings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
6. What were some obstacles that Angelica Kaufman faced as a female artist working in eighteenth century England?
Resources
Books
Abrams, Ann Uhry. The Valiant Hero: Benjamin West and Grand-Style History Painting.
Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1985.
Bryson, Norman. Tradition and Desire: From David to Delacroix. New York:
Cambridge University Press, 1984.
Roberts, Warren E. Jacques-Louis David, Revolutionary Artist: Art, Politics, and the
French Revolution. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1989.
Roworth,Wendy Wassyng, and David Alexander. Angelica Kauffman: A Continental
Artist in Georgian England. London: Reaktion Books, 1992.
www
French and Italian Painting of the 18th Century (National Gallery of Art)
http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/french18.htm